In June I wrote about the emerging position of EED attorneys in law firms. Corporations are also creating such positions.
Discovery Trailblazers in InsideCounsel (Aug 2006) reports that many large companies are looking for someone to manage e-discovery. One motivation is cost control: “An e-discovery manager works directly with vendors, ensuring that the company gets the best possible rates.” Though vendor pricing is important, I suspect that even bigger savings lie in actively managing how outside counsel conducts the entire discovery process. After all, large law firms are not reknown for their project management skills.
“It’s also important to have someone bridge the communication barriers between legal and IT. Without a translator in place, e-discovery can go painfully wrong.” Clearly something went wrong for Morgan Stanley in the Coleman case (the $1.4b judgment is on appeal); having someone inhouse to shepard document collection and establish a records management policy is a good idea.
The article reports compensation for this emerging position ranges from $100,000 to $300,000. If I were a GC, I would not want someone at $100k (which buys about two-thirds of a first year associate in NYC); I think $175k is a more realistic minimum, especially given the demand for the right qualifications.